WATCH | In numbers: India begins world’s largest vaccination drive against Covid-19

18 January 2021 - 16:33
By Reuters

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched one of the world's largest vaccination campaigns on January 16 as part of efforts by the populous nation to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control, starting with two locally manufactured shots.

Modi will not immediately take the vaccine himself as India is initially prioritising nurses, doctors and others on the front line.

India, which has reported the most coronavirus infections after the US, wants to vaccinate about 300 million people with two doses in the first six to eight months of the year.

About 10.5 million people in India have been infected with the coronavirus, more than 151,000 of whom have died, though the rate of cases has come down since a mid-September peak.

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